Remembering Ellie

Today marks the first anniversary of Ellie's death.  I know it has been a difficult day for my nephew and sister, and for many others who knew Ellie.  It's very hard to lose a loved one, especially a six-year-old child.  It's tempting to blame God, because we know that He could have miraculously saved Ellie.  We know that He loved her immensely.  Why didn't He step in to take away the cancer?  We can't second-guess God, but we like to try.  Maybe He saved her from something worse.  Maybe those of us who are left will learn something from her death.  Maybe someone will draw closer to God.  Maybe, maybe, maybe...

My nephew, Wes, with his oldest daughter, Ellie

Ever since sin came into the world in the Garden of Eden, people have to die.  Dying is an inevitable part of life, caused by viruses, cancer, accidents, heart attacks, sometimes even murder.  But aren't most people supposed to live for a long time before they die normally of old age?  If we were able to choose who should die, and when, we would undoubtedly pick the murderers and obvious sinners, or perhaps people who've lived long lives.  We would never choose a young child who hasn't had a chance to live a full life.

It's okay, even necessary, to grieve.  Jesus cried when his friend Lazarus died.  In fact, Jesus came to Earth for this very reason: to overcome sin and death. Thanks be to God!  He never promised that our lives here on Earth would be easy.  But Jesus did promise that He would never leave us or forsake us. And, because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we can look forward to life with Him in heaven, where we'll see Ellie again, too.  Waiting to see her again is hard, but we know she is safe with Him now and forever.

Since the beginning of time, people have agonized over death.  Many books have been written about this subject.  I can't begin to cover the topic thoroughly in just a few paragraphs, so my writing is doomed to be simplistic.  We try to understand, sometimes without success.  Some things just have to be entrusted to God.  Sometimes we just need to reach out to Him to accept the hope and peace that He is so willing to give.

Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭57‬:‭1‬ 

 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”  
Matthew 19:14

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